Darksiders 2

The original Darksiders flew under my radar. It was released in early 2010 and was overshadowed by Platinum Games’ Bayonetta. It’s hard for any action game to go up against director Hideki Kamiya, the man who helped invent the genre. But looking back on it, letting Darksiders go by without a word was a crime.

I’m playing through it now, and the game deserves more attention. It’s a polished, smartly done adventure in a universe that’s equally as compelling as any fantasy world out there. Taking on the role of War, one of the four horsemen of the Apocalypse, players battle angels and demons as he tries to figure out how the end times started earlier than scheduled.

With that in mind, I jumped at the chance to see Darksiders II. I traveled to San Francisco to see a hands-off demo. A developer from Vigil Games played through a few sections highlighting fresh features of the sequel. All the while, we sat in a venue so dark and gothic, I swear there was going to be a human sacrifice after the presentation was over. Here are five quick thoughts upon seeing the game.